After the talks, which lasted several hours, a U.S. embassy official said they were "frank and serious, and focused as agreed on security problems in Iraq." He added that the talks will continue at a date to be agreed later.
In a statement today, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said a successful meeting would be good for all parties, and added that he hoped the Iranian side "would play a positive role to meet the expectations of the Iraqi nation."
Neither Tehran nor Washington has said precisely what they hope to achieve at the talks, which were hosted by Iraqi officials in Baghdad and led by Marcie Ries, a senior diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, and Amir Abdollahian, the deputy head of Iran's mission.
Establishing the security subcommittee has been the main achievement so far of new face-to-face contacts between Washington and Tehran, which have had no diplomatic ties for almost 30 years.
The U.S. says Iran is fomenting unrest in Iraq by supporting Shi'ite militias and supplying weapons used to kill U.S. troops. Iran denies it is responsible for violence.
Two rounds of senior talks in May and July were attended by the U.S. and Iranian ambassadors.
Fifty Dead In Latest Violence
Meanwhile today, at least 30 people were killed and some 50 others injured in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar when a suicide truck bomber struck a crowded Shi'ite neighborhood. A complete curfew was imposed on the city after the attack, which also destroyed nearby homes.
In a southern suburb of Baghdad, a roadside bomb reportedly killed nine Iraqis and wounded others at a minibus stop. Both bombings hit during morning rush hour. Another six people were reported killed in clashes in the town of Al-Dulu'iyah, north of Baghdad.
Separately, the U.S. military said five of its soldiers have been killed in separate incidents in Iraq over the past 24 hours. Four U.S. troops were killed today in the city of Ba'qubah, in Diyala Governorate, while another soldier was killed on August 5 in the eastern part of Baghdad.
(compiled from agency reports)